Book Reviews

64 Articles

GA 618 | MORE Is Better with Kathy Miller

By Jessica Bush - February 5th, 2026

This week’s guest is Kathy Miller. Ron and Kathy discussed manufacturing, Kathy’s new book “MORE Is Better,” optimism, psychological safety, and the art of making high-quality connections. An MP3 audio version o

GA 581 | Managing by Influence with James Turk

By Jessica Bush - May 22nd, 2025

This week’s guest is James Turk. Ron and James discussed James’ book “The Giving Game,” choosing between leadership styles, dealing with personality conflicts, and more. An MP3 audio version of this episode is a

GA 540 | The Space Between Leading and Following with Chris Fuzie

By Jessica Bush - August 8th, 2024

This week’s guest is Chris Fuzie. Ron and Chris discussed Chris’s books, liminal space, tessellation, leadership, and more. An MP3 audio version of this episode is available for download here. In this episode you’ll l

GA 515 | Software, AI, and Continuous Improvement with Nikhil Joshi

By Jessica Bush - February 15th, 2024

This week’s guest is Nikhil Joshi. Ron and Nikhil discussed the role of software in continuous improvement, what the future of AI looks like, and more. An MP3 audio version of this episode is available for download here. In this

GA 493 | Dealing with Fear with John Knotts

By Jessica Bush - September 14th, 2023

This week’s guest is John Knotts. Ron and John explored the multifaceted concept of fear. John also explained why fear exists, and how scientific thinking and continuous improvement can help us all deal with it. An MP3 audio vers

GA 490 | What’s Broken About Work with David Henkin and Thomas Bertels

By Jessica Bush - August 24th, 2023

  This week’s guests are David Henkin and Thomas Bertels. David and Thomas talked about co-authoring their new book, “Fixing Work,” how attitudes around work and the workplace have changed, the role of mastery, a

GA 489 | Understanding the Way We Think with Gerald J. Leonard

By Jessica Bush - August 17th, 2023

This week’s guest is Gerald J. Leonard. Ron and Gerald covered a lot of interesting topics including Gerald’s personal health journey, brain science, being a musician, and the power of affirmations. An MP3 audio version of

GA 480 | Learning From Our Mistakes with Mark Graban

By Jessica Bush - June 15th, 2023

This week’s guest is Mark Graban. Ron and Mark discussed making mistakes and the importance of psychological safety. Mark also shared a little about his podcast, “My Favorite Mistake,” and his new book, “The Mis

GA 478 | Discovering Your Purpose with John Knotts

By Jessica Bush - June 1st, 2023

This week’s guest is Gemba Academy’s own John Knotts. Ron and John discussed John’s books, stepping into your fear zone, knowing your purpose, and more. An MP3 audio version of this episode is available for download h

GA 471 | Setting and Measuring KPIs with Vince Sassano

By Jessica Bush - April 13th, 2023

This week’s guest is Vince Sassano. Ron and Vince discussed KPIs, balancing them with what the customer wants, and more. An MP3 audio version of this episode is available for download here. In this episode you’ll learn:  T

GA 466 | Problem Statements, Ideation, and Coaching with Jamie Flinchbaugh

By Jessica Bush - March 9th, 2023

This week’s guest is Jamie Flinchbaugh. Jamie updated us on what he’s learned since publishing his latest book, how he recommends writing a good problem statement, and more. An MP3 audio version of this episode is available

GA 428 | The Power of Discovery with Colin Baird

By Jessica Bush - June 16th, 2022

This week’s guest is Colin Baird. Ron and Colin discussed the role of discovery and the importance of being appreciated. Colin also shared how his relationship with his father shaped the way he views continuous improvement. An MP

GA 420 | The Benefits of Gratitude with Rick Foreman

By Jessica Bush - April 21st, 2022

This week’s guest is Rick Foreman. Ron and Rick talked all about the importance of gratitude, both in professional and personal contexts. Listen and learn how being grateful can improve your health and overall happiness. An MP3 a

GA 394 | Practicing Kind Leadership with Karyn Ross

By Jessica Bush - October 21st, 2021

This week’s guest is Karyn Ross. Karyn has been on the show quite a few times and each conversation is packed full of lean insights. This time, Karyn discussed her new book, The Kind Leader, and what it means to practice kind lea

GA 389 | People Solve Problems with Jamie Flinchbaugh

By Jessica Bush - September 16th, 2021

This week’s guest is Jamie Flinchbaugh. Ron and Jamie discussed the contents of Jamie’s upcoming book, People Solve Problems. This episode is full of incredible insights on lean, leadership, problem solving, and more. An MP

GA 380 | The Concept of Humble Inquiry with Peter and Ed Schein

By Jessica Bush - July 15th, 2021

This week’s guests are Peter and Ed Schein, prominent figures in the leadership and organizational culture fields. A father-son team, they discussed the books they’ve written, the concept of Humble Inquiry, vulnerability in

GA 378 | Lean in Construction with Robert Penney

By Jessica Bush - July 1st, 2021

This week’s guest is Robert Penney. Robert, whose background is in construction, explained how the industry uses lean, what tools they use, etc. Robert also had some great books to recommend. An MP3 audio version of this episode

GA 370 | Improving Quality of Life with Lean with Rick Foreman

By Jessica Bush - May 6th, 2021

This week’s guest is Rick Foreman. Ron and Rick covered a lot of ground, including Federal Heath’s lean journey, and creating a strong culture of continuous improvement. Rick also gave some advice on “selling” o

GA 367 | The Dichotomies of Continuous Improvement with Ron Pereira

By Jessica Bush - April 15th, 2021

This week’s guest is Ron Pereira. Ron discussed two books by Jocko Willink and Leif Babin, specifically their teachings on dichotomies and balance. Inspired by this, Ron described three of the dichotomies he’s observed in c

GA 361 | The Role of Entropy in Lean with Luciana Toda

By Jessica Bush - March 4th, 2021

This week’s guest is Luciana Toda. Ron and Luciana discussed the concept of entropy and its role in a culture of continuous improvement. They also explored how sustainability factors in as far as creating real, lasting change. A

GA 353 | Creating the Jeep with Paul Bruno

By Jessica Bush - January 7th, 2021

This week’s guest is Paul Bruno. Paul doesn’t have a traditional lean background, but the fascinating research he shared on the story behind the creation of the Jeep is full of lean parallels and lessons. A MP3 audio versio

GA 331 | Leading and Learning at Toyota with Katie Anderson

By Jessica Bush - August 6th, 2020

This week’s guest is Katie Anderson. Ron and Katie discussed Katie’s new book, the roles of a leader,  joy versus happiness, and much more. Katie also shared some special stories about esteemed Toyota leaders like Isao Yos

Pivotal Hubris Moments – Architecting, Detecting, or Preventing Your Demise

By Jessica Bush - June 19th, 2020

The following article was written for Gemba Academy by Mohamed Saleh, PhD Do you ever look back at an event and think, “Oh, there are so many things that I would have done differently? If only I would have known what I know now while

GA 313 | The Eight Pillars of Total Productive Maintenance with Balaji Chandrasekar

By Jessica Bush - April 2nd, 2020

This week’s guest is Balaji Chandrasekar. Ron and Balaji reviewed the pillars of TPM, the challenges involved, and more. A MP3 audio version of this episode is available for download here. In this episode you’ll learn:  Th

GA 312 | Practicing Kata in Secret with Tracy Defoe

By Jessica Bush - March 26th, 2020

This week’s guest is Tracy Defoe. Ron and Tracy discussed why people practice Toyota Kata and continuous improvement in secret, and why it’s problematic. A MP3 audio version of this episode is available for download here. I

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